Effects of 12C6+ ion radiation and ferulic acid on the zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryonic oxidative stress response and gene expression

Highlights: • Carbon ion radiation increased the oxidative stress in zebrafish embryos. • Carbon ion radiation induced transcriptional level effects. • The transcriptional level displayed more sensitivity to low dose radiation than the antioxidant enzyme activities. • FA induced radioprotective effects by the inhibition of oxidative stress. - Abstract: The effects of carbon ion irradiation and ferulic acid (FA) on the induction of oxidative stress and alteration of gene expression were studied in zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos. Zebrafish embryos at 8 hpf were divided into seven groups: the control group; the 1 Gy, 3 Gy and 7 Gy irradiation groups; and three FA-pre-treated irradiation groups. In the irradiated groups, a significant increase in the teratogenesis of the zebrafish embryos and oxidative stress was accompanied by increased malondialdehyde (MDA) content, decreased glutathione (GSH) content and alterations in antioxidant enzyme activities (such as catalase [CAT] and superoxide dismutase [SOD]). Moreover, the mRNA levels for Cu/Zn–sod, Mn–sod, cat and gpx, the genes encoding these antioxidant proteins, were altered significantly. However, the mRNA expression patterns were not in accordance with those of the antioxidant enzymes and were more sensitive under low-dose irradiation. In addition, we detected the mRNA expression of ucp-2 and bcl-2, which are located at the mitochondrial inner membrane and related to reactive oxidative species (ROS) production. In the irradiated groups, the mRNA level of ucp-2 was significantly increased, whereas the mRNA level of bcl-2 was significantly decreased. Supplementation with FA, an antioxidant, was better able to reduce the irradiation-induced oxidative damage marked by changes in mortality, morphology, antioxidant enzyme activities and the MDA and GSH content, as well as in the mRNA expression levels. Overall, this study provided helpful information about the transcriptional effects of irradiation to better understand the mechanism of carbon ion-induced oxidative stress and FA-induced radioprotective effects